Thales had to use the overturned tea cup to cover up his surprise, until the veiled nun next to Meghan enthusiastically and skillfully stepped forward and inconsiderately cleaned up the mess on the table for him.
"I do not understand?"
But this time, Meghan remained silent and silently observed the prince behind the desk.
This is that boy.
The boy who holds the key to the future of the kingdom.
When he heard the magic, his expression was slightly surprised, unlike the old aristocrat who was born shrewd and calculating, with all the trappings of etiquette and pretense.
But he is no more restrained and ambitious than the new aristocrats of the royal capital.
Gilbert was caught off guard:
"Priest Megan! I thought we were just having a theology class today, and you were explaining the knowledge related to God to His Highness..."
"As I said, theology has never been about God alone."
Meghan interrupted the protest of Gilbert - this idiot who seemed very smart to others, but was still so slow and hopeless - and continued to look at Duke Thales in front of him.
The young Duke looked a little thin, which reminded her of the poor people who crowded outside the sanctuary in winter, waiting for help.
But his eyes were bright, sharp and alert.
Not only that, Meghan can also tell from other details of the other party's behavior, such as natural and casual sitting posture, fast-paced movements, bold and direct conversation, etc., that this is not a traditional prince of the stars.
At least not like the previous ones.
Meghan took another look at the prince's clothes: the colors were dark and the style was conservative, but the details such as the collar and cuffs were designed with novel shapes, and the silver threads were buried just right, matching the nine-pointed star brooch.
contrast.
The female priest nodded secretly.
It seems that the royal family’s tailors have also learned how to reshape style and innovate fashion.
Well, probably because they are tired of the retro and heavy trend that has been trending in the aristocratic circles of Yongxing City for more than ten years since the Year of Blood - just because the owner of the Fuxing Palace prefers classic and cold colors, over the years, there are many more and more popular styles on the market in the royal capital.
Ordinary tailors who have trendy designs and bold colors as their selling points are almost driven out of business.
But Megan paused for a moment and then understood again.
No, although the royal tailors of the palace often let themselves go and practice their skills on the clothing designs of various noble families (but most of the stupid customers who know nothing about aesthetics will only put on a look of surprise and appreciation for the realistic acting skills)
, to match their sky-high hiring fee), but they have no reason and no courage to experiment with trends on the second prince who has not long returned and attracted the attention of the whole country.
This is not a new design style.
Megan's heart moved.
The prince is wearing the style that the previous owner of this hall liked most more than ten years ago.
She looked back at the idiot Earl who was still chattering, and continued to ignore his warning eyes.
From this point of view, he, who has worked hard for many years to turn Fuxing Palace into his second home, has taken great pains.
only……
Does this really work?
Megan smiled slightly.
"You know what I'm talking about, Thales."
She nonchalantly called the prince by his name again, ignoring his status.
Under the gods, souls are equal.
Titles are useless, piety is supreme.
Is not it?
"Not every child in this world is lucky enough to experience the confrontation between disaster and dragon."
Meghan saw the prince's face become solemn with satisfaction:
"In the past few years, haven't you been troubled, curious, or seeking an explanation for the disaster in Longxiao City?"
Thales' eyes froze.
Longxiao City.
"When you hear the rumors of disasters that will destroy the world, watch the drama of the end of the war, read their different descriptions, and listen to the cryptic and vague explanations of the noble teachers, do you really accept them all?"
magic.
Thales leaned back in his chair and frowned.
Therefore, the "problem that has troubled you for several years" refers to this, because of my experience in Longxiao City.
And not because...
Under the table, Thales pinched his left palm and felt the scars left by countless dagger cuts on it.
He let go of his nervousness and all the possibilities he had just thought of:
Did the secret department track down suspicious clues while spying on him? Was the half-baked doctor Ramon exposed? Did he search for books in Longxiao City and leave clues? Did he show off his skills in class with Aixida? The little slickster inadvertently leaked the secret? Even a certain person
An old witch with an ugly face whom I haven't seen for a thousand years is stabbing her in the back and spreading rumors?
"Meghan Priest, you should have discussed this with me in advance..." Gilbert's cough suddenly subsided and was replaced by his sigh.
Meghan looked back gracefully.
"There's no need to hide it, there's no need to cover it up," Luo Riyang knew how much effort it took for her to hold back her subconscious words of 'idiot' and keep smiling:
"Count Castle."
"Talking about mages will not bring disaster, nor will reflecting on magic lead to its end."
Her unabashed words made Gilbert's expression suddenly change.
"Only those who are stubborn and blindly superstitious will go astray."
Megan turned back and looked directly at Thales, who had a complicated expression:
"Precisely because of ignorance."
"With arrogance."
Thales was silent for a long time.
Gilbert's sigh became deeper and deeper:
"A long time ago, I explained the evil of disaster to Your Highness..."
Meghan's tone was gentle, but she showed no weakness in her retort:
"Count Casso, do you really think he will be an idiot who will rush off to eat, drink and have fun after class and no longer care about the learning content?"
"Do you really think he will just sit back and relax, be willing to be ignorant, and no longer care about the things that once threatened his life for the rest of his life?"
Gilbert was slightly speechless. He and the priest glanced at the prince behind the desk at the same time.
But Thales just remained silent, thinking about the unknown.
Gilbert's tone was slightly weaker:
"He is still young..."
But Meghan’s counter-examination became even more forceful:
"He's old enough."
The elder priest said coldly:
"If magic really inspires young people's unbridled curiosity, there is no need to wait until now. As early as the six years away from your sight, he has already indulged himself, indulged in it, ignored taboos and didn't know where to go."
Gilbert looked at the prince, frowned slightly, but said nothing.
All right.
The boy, who had been overwhelmed with thoughts and nervousness in the past few seconds, took a breath.
"Well, indeed," the prince's tone returned to a relaxed tone:
"I really want to know."
Thales smiled slightly and said sincerely:
"Magic and disaster?"
"Gilbert said some things a long time ago, and the Exeters' classics also talk about some things, but not much."
Gilbert's expression changed again.
"Look, Thales."
"God knows your confusion," Megan looked at him kindly, with a confident look on her face:
"If you have faith, God will protect you."
The sunset.
If you protect me...
Thales sighed unabashedly:
Can you get her to stop being such a jerk?
Meghan looked at his expression and understood.
As expected, he grew up in the north and did not believe in God.
This is not surprising. Since the end of the war, most northerners no longer believe in the gods that were once regarded as orthodox by the empire, or any beliefs related to them - instead, they have turned to believe in those who do not think of hybridizing with alien beasts.
What the shameful founding king brought:
Arrogant and ignorant, arrogant and conceited.
Megan pouted.
God knows how many sacrifices Haoyue and Mingye Temple made to survive on that land.
But that’s the magic of faith, isn’t it?
Just like me many years ago, wasn't it that I was immersed in vanity and impulse, thinking that I had understood my life and found my pursuit in this world, thus ignoring God's teachings and arrangements?
Fortunately, God is selfless and has no resentment.
Only protection and tolerance.
Meghan gratefully said a prayer in her invisible sleeve, so that the nervous little Nia behind would not have to repeat it after her.
"First of all, where did magic come from?"
Thales maintained a smile and shrugged, expressing that he didn't know.
Just kidding, I wish I knew.
No, it would be terrible if she knew I knew.
Meghan gestured to the young nun behind her:
"Nia."
The thin and pitiful-looking veiled girl got the hint, struggled but carefully took out a large square box with a metallic luster from the luggage they brought, and placed it on Thales' desk.
Wait, it's not a box. It is made up of thin plates stacked one by one from top to bottom, leaving no gaps.
Seems more like a - book?
The top pattern of the metal box is a lifelike carving of a king in uniform, surrounded by people. The carving style is simple and simple, but easy to understand. There are also some Thales engraved around it that look very familiar and are somewhat similar to ancient imperial texts.
symbol.
"What's this?"
Thales frowned and subconsciously reached out to open the metal "book".
Snapped!
"No touching!"
The back of Thales' hand hurt, and he retracted his hand in surprise, only to find that the person who hit him was the little nun named Nia.
I saw Nia stretching out her hands out of habit, and you could vaguely see the vicious look under the veil.
Just like she had done this action countless times to warn anyone who wanted to touch this metal page book.
But the next second, when the little nun realized who she was hitting, she suddenly panicked.
"I……"
Nia lowered her head and murmured:
"Yes, right..."
Thales could only smile awkwardly (What else could he do? Let d.d come in, drag her out and kill her?), and took back Hu Lai's left hand angrily.
But Megan Priest quickly came to his rescue:
"This is a metal tablet found in the tomb of King Anset."
"King Anset?"
Thales' eyes moved:
"Wait a minute, I've read about this name..."
Thales used his little brain to recall the time in the library in Longxiao City.
But it was clear that Meghan was not prepared to give him a chance to show off his memory and knowledge, and put it bluntly:
"He is one of the ancestors of mankind in the Age of Kings, and a royal in-law of the ancient Kingdom of Shavin."
"In the century when the last line of defense collapsed, the Iron-Blooded King died in battle, the North was lost, Chauvin was destroyed, and the ancient orcs marched southward, it was King Anset who raised his arms and shouted, defying all opinions, and helped the human team flee south in panic.
Unite the kings here, form a joint meeting, defend the fortified city, and wait for opportunities to counterattack..."
Thales said "Oh" just right, thinking of the initiator of the Joint Conference of Kings and the iconic figure of the Kings, but he looked at the metal nameplate on the table and then had a strange expression:
"King Anset..."
"You...robbed his tomb?"
Meghan's expression immediately froze.
"not us."
Her tone was a little dissatisfied.
Thales coughed and said angrily:
"of course not."
You are just... kind, innocent and innocent buyers and collectors, right?
"And this is..." Thales turned his attention back to the pages of metal nameplates in front of him, watching Nia skillfully open the first few pages and flash through several scenes:
The city walls collapsed, the sentries were broken, and countless people were left with their heads missing;
Huge figures came in groups, carrying heads and weapons, approaching a group of soldiers who had no way to retreat;
The king on the cover is sitting at a round table, waving his arms and making an impassioned speech.
"In ancient times, before paper and printing existed, people recorded important events and history on inscription pages made of special alloys so that they would not be forgotten."
Meghan sat where she was and said calmly:
"As far as I know, some places, including the Northland, still retain this tradition."
Thales remembered.
When he was still in the North, it was said that the White Blade Guard's "The Book of the White Blade" was written in this way, but Thales never understood. After hundreds of years, the account of the White Blade Guard must have weighed dozens of tons.
, can you hold the dead face with thin arms and legs?
In the distance, the surprised Gilbert wanted to step forward but could not lose his grace. He could only stretch his neck and take a look at the original position. Thales could see the interest in this metal nameplate from his eyes.
Stunning.
"The very beginning, when the world had not yet been fully explored, when beliefs were still fragmented, and when human beings were still small and humble..."
Megan spoke slowly and unhurriedly, while Sister Nia turned the pages in cooperation:
On the page, the kings wearing crowns are small in stature, standing back to back among a group of huge figures.
"At that time, humans were surrounded by powerful alien races that were incompatible with them: the bloodthirsty orcs who worshiped their ancestors went south to expand their borders, the elf kingdom that believed in nature was hegemonic, and the dwarf kings who respected iron and fire were ambitious..."
"There are even giant dragons and evil beasts..."
Thales moved:
"Uh...what?"
Meghan had to stop again and sighed:
"Evidence from an archaeological discovery shows that many years before the emergence of human pictures and writing, our world was ruled by many huge beasts."
"Unimaginably huge."
"The dragon is only the first of them all."
"They travel between the sky and the earth unscrupulously, ruling the mountains and oceans, using the world as a hunting ground and living creatures as slaves, taking and snatching away tiny insects, displaying boundless coercion."
Only then did Thales understand.
Nia turned another page:
A man wearing a crown stood at the top of the city, and many figures stood beside him, some holding weapons, some wearing robes, and some leaning on canes...
"And among human beings, there is such a group of counselors. They rely on their experience and wisdom to make dutiful plans in the tents of tribes, in the palaces of nobles, and in the towers of cities, and strive to gain a breathing space for mankind.
"
"No different than Count Castle over there."
In the distance, Gilbert's expression darkened again.
"At that time, the dangerous environment almost forced the most humble and weak human beings to a dead end."
Nia turned to the next page.
The engraving on this page attracted Thales' attention:
In the vast sky, a vaguely carved figure appeared in the pattern of the sun. It looked down solemnly, stretching out its arms to the king and his counselors from the sky.
"Until the gods look down and take pity on the weak."
Megan’s words became more profound:
"Prophets and divine messengers came to the world one after another to point out the future path for mankind and spread the faith of the gods."
"And the people I'm talking about..."
Megan raised her head:
"Some of them accepted God and faith, and were pious and humble."
"Others are skeptical or even dismissive."
Thales was startled, and he immediately saw the next page that Nia turned out:
Under the sun, a man wearing a crown stood at attention. Several groups of people stood beside him. Among them, the two groups at the left and right ends were the most conspicuous: the people on the right bowed in worship with humble expressions, and the people on the left carried their backs.
Standing tall, the movements are different.
Looking at the two completely different groups of people beside the king, Thales's expression became solemn.
Meghan's words continued:
"The former established churches, took root in the people, and educated the people."
"The latter got together and established themselves, forming their own faction and finding a new way."
Meghan changed the subject:
"And this was the beginning of the division between faith and magic, priests and mages, temples, churches and magic towers."
After thinking about it, Thales couldn't help but say:
"What?"
He looked at Meghan, who just smiled slightly:
"Now, do you know why, the knowledge about the mysterious magic that has disappeared in the past is only mentioned in our theology classes?"
Thales was quite unbelievable.
"Faith and magic come from the same source," the old priest turned serious and said solemnly:
"We depend on each other and prove each other's importance."
Thales looked blankly at Priest Megan in front of him, and countless thoughts passed through his mind.
Meghan kept talking, with a majestic air, and even Gilbert couldn't help but stand solemnly:
"They are brothers by nature, both inspired by God."
Megan sighed slowly:
"It's just that the eldest son is loyal, but the younger son is rebellious."
Meghan’s words contained a touch of respect:
"But they all worked hard for one goal: the survival and prosperity of humanity."
Thales listened in confusion, thinking that this was another statement from another standpoint.
Faith and magic, religion and magicians, have the same origin?
“The firstborn Son of God reshapes the people’s spirit, brings faith in protection and salvation, causes people to abandon their weakness, dissipate fear, leaves behind tenacity, and breeds heroism.”
"The young Son of God has given people powerful weapons, allowing them to be more successful and comfortable in the victory that is bound to come."
As Nia turned the pages, many scenes on the metal nameplate came into Thales' eyes:
escape.
banquet.
mobilization.
Marriage.
celebrate.
war.
funeral.
To name a few.
But those two groups of people appear from time to time.
Those who bow always sing loudly at ceremonies and banquets, and those who turn their backs always appear on battlefields and city walls.
Thales frowned as he looked at the simple yet profound carvings.
"In the self-evident and unanimous cooperation between them, mankind gradually rises and gradually counterattacks."
Megan's tone softened slightly.
The old priest took a deep breath and sighed quietly:
"In the end, on the Quegur Icefield, in that unprecedented battle where both sides put all their chips and gambled on the future..."
"King Anset and the other six human kings, together with their 3,000 cavalrymen who were devout in their faith and feared death, broke into the tens of thousands of orcs' heavy infantry formation..."
Taylor was shocked!
The story is...
"They never returned, but at the cost of their lives, they successfully attacked and killed the supreme holy chief of the ancient orcs."
Nia turned to the last few pages:
The king was covered in wounds, holding his sword in his arms, lying quietly in the center of the battlefield, but those huge figures carrying human heads had long since disappeared, and there were only countless small figures holding horses and guns, surrounding the king, raising flags.
Stand solemnly.
In the sky, the clouds cleared and the fog dispersed, illuminating the battlefield.
"Without the supreme holy chief, the ancient orcs were completely without a leader."
Megan raised her head and raised her voice clearly:
"Therefore, the battle that started an era is called..."
"The Battle of the Saints."
Thales was silent.
Panting lightly, Nia struggled to cover the metal inscription.
Covering these ten thin pages, it contains the record of King Anset's magnificent life thousands of years ago.
"The pursuit of saints is over, the old times have moved on, the bloody bravery of the orcs is no longer terrifying, the rule of the elves has declined, the arrogance of the dwarves has all disappeared, and the fear brought by the dragons and evil beasts has finally become an unproven legend."
"So the foreigners hid in all directions, and the belief in the gods spread throughout the land."
Megan looked at the sunset outside the window with a faint expression: